The Algonquin Regiment

The Algonquin Regiment is a Primary Reserve infantry regiment of the Canadian Forces comprising 2 companies. A Company is located in North Bay, Ontarioand B Company is located inTimmins, Ontario. The regiment falls under the command of 33 Canadian Brigade Group.

When war broke out the Algonquin Regiment was only 250 men strong. Recruitment and training soon became their primary concern. The regiment recruited from an area extending from Bracebridge and Parry Sound to the south and Timmins and Cochrane to the north. It was not until 22 July 1940, that the regiment went into active service. On 4 September 1940, the first battalion loaded up, the Algonquin Regiment (Active Force), and arrived at Camp Borden three days later. There was not enough space, however, for training exercises and they were moved to Current River Camp in Port Arthur, Ontario and again to Camp Shilo in Manitoba on 4 June 1941. The regiment was transferred to Niagara-on-the-Lake and assigned guard duty on the Niagara and Welland canals in November 1941, before finally being asked for their first draft for overseas enforcements on 14 January 1942. In February 1942, the regiment was transferred to Newfoundland and assigned protection duties at Torbay airport and Cape Spear. In January 1943, the regiment was chosen for operations overseas, was moved to Debert Camp in Nova Scotiaand, for administration purposes, was assigned to the 20th Brigade of the Seventh Canadian Infantry Division. The regiment embarked on the RMS Empress of Scotland in Halifax on 10 June 1943, and sailed the following day for England with a complement of 4,500 troops. Upon arriving in Liverpool the regiment proceeded to Heathfield and was made part of the 10th Canadian Infantry Brigade of the Fourth Canadian (Armoured) Division.

On 16 July 1944, an advance party left for Normandy, France, with the regiment as a whole arriving a couple of days later. The morning of July 25, 1944, all four companies of the Algonquin Regiment landed on Juno Beach where, in the following days, learnt of their ensuing mission to support the 4th Canadian (Armoured) Division in closing the Falaise Gap. August 9, 1944, the regiment, supporting BCR (British Columbia Regiment), jointly forming 'Worthington Force' were tasked with taking Hill 195, taking an unfortunate wrong turn at 02:00 hours they ended up four miles east of Hill 195, closer to Hill 140, deep in German territory. The regiment suffered heavy losses with total casualties of 128 men and 47 tanks. The leader of the force, BCR commander Lt. Col Don Worthington, was killed and the Algonquins' commander, Lt. Col. Art Hay, was seriously wounded. R.S.M. A. J. Primeau was killed by the same mortar bomb that seriously wounded Hay . Leading up to August 31, 1944, the Algonquin Regiment, moving within the Fourth CAD, were tasked with filling the gap to the south at Hill 240, fighting alongside the Polish Armoured Division. The period from August 31 to September 8 was a period of rapid movement into Belgium, halted on the eighth at the Ghent - Brugge Canal. Fighting, all day and suffering multiple setbacks resulting in numerous casualties across all the regiments, ended September 10 with the Allies across the Ghent - Brugge Canal after holding back the German counterattacks. A few days later the attempt of the regiment to cross the Leopold Canal was successfully repelled at Moerkerke by the German 245 Infantry Division. The Canadians pulled back after a tremendous covering artillery barrage. The regiment continued with the Fourth Division north out of Belgium into the Netherlands in a progression of battles for the north shore of the Sheldt area eventually leading to the liberation of Welberg and Steenbergen. The operation to liberate Welberg was initiated on October 31, 1944, however with "D" Coy resting, all "A", "B" and "C" coys fell short of their objectives facing massive German counterattacks. Fighting continued on until November 1 when the regiment retreated back to a few km outside of Welberg. On November 2 they launched their second attack, this time along the right side of the town, fighting continued throughout the night.

By the end of November 3 all four coys had reached their target objectives and succeeded in the liberation of Welberg. From November 5 to 8 the Algonquin Regiment rested in the Steenbergen area, the period proceeding became known as the "winter war" (November 1944-February 1945). Leading into Operation Blockbuster, this dislodgment of the German hinge in Hochwald on February 27, fighting to close the Hochwald gap began by mid day of March 3, 1945, the allies had completed their objectives. Over the next couple month the Algonquin Regiment continued to fight, as they had been the entire war, under the Cnd Fourth Division crossing the Rhine with the last round up (April 16-May 4) and cease fire called just past Rastede Germany. As of January 1946, the Algonquin Regiment's final death toll was 65 officers and 1235 other soldiers.

Falaise

Falaise Road

The Laison

Chambois

The Seine,

Moerkerke

The Scheldt

Breskens Pocket

The Lower Maas

The Rhineland

The Hochwald

Veen

Küsten Canal

Bad Zwischenahn

North-West Europe, 1944–1945